The legendary Anderson Silva was looking to capture his first win since 2012 last night (Sat., Feb. 11, 2017) at UFC 208 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, when he took on hungry knockout artist Derek Brunson. It was one of the more interesting bouts of the evening and a test for each middleweight at this point in their respective careers.

Both fighters came out extremely cautious, as Silva looked to counter at every opportunity Brunson presented him. Brunson found a home for a few shots when he was able to get inside, but “The Spider” retaliated with sharp knees to the body and a spinning kick when the action separated. Silva began to stalk Brunson in Round 2 as the power puncher remained tentative, landing some solid offense after dancing around the cage. Brunson found some refuge in a few timely takedowns, but he wasn’t able to hold the Brazilian down. While Silva tried to initiate action on the feet in the third and final frame, Brunson wanted no part of it, instead opting to close the distance and tie “The Spider” up. To much surprise, the judges overlooked Brunson’s grappling efforts in favor of Silva’s activity and aggressiveness on the feet, awarding the Brazilian the unanimous decision victory.

The full fight video highlights can be seen above courtesy of UFC.

With this win, Silva finally captures the victory he has been chasing for years. While the legendary Brazilian didn’t cap off his performance with a classic finish, he showed some good signs as a 41-year-old veteran. At this point, UFC has to be willing to push Silva into the biggest matchups possible because who knows how long his body will hold up.